Ozone generator



E. L. JOSEPH.

OZONE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1929.

1,431,957, Patented Oct. 17, 1922;.

2 SHEETS-SHUT l.

--M I'W mmm ym-- I Il I lle N l Mw 1 DIMM@ www E. L. IOSEPHI OZONE GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED IuLY I9, 1920.

Patented 001;. 17,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. Patented oa. M1922.' j'

'PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD LIONEL JOSEPH, or 'WEs'rMINs'rEn LONDON, ENGLAND.

D STATE-s OZONE GENERATOR.

Application mea Juiy 19,

l Y To 'whom t may' concern:

Society, of 96 Victoria Street Y in 1the city of let l Westminster and county of ondon, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ozone Generators, of which the followmg is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements 1n ozone generators of the general type wherein each electrode consists of a'metallic sheet (in the form of wire gauze for example) and the electrodes of a .pair having opposite polarities extend in parallel planes and are separated by a sheet of dielectric material (mica,rfor example), whilst the stream of air, oxygen, or other gas or gaseous mixture (all of which'will hereinafter be referred to as air), which is to be ozonized is caused to pass over the electrodes, whereof a series of pairs may be employed to act upon the stream either simultaneously or in succession. In one known arrangement of such a series of pairs of electrodes, the electrodes of opposite polarities alternate with oneanother in parallel planes 'throughout the series, a dielectric sheet being interposed between each two adjacent electrodes, whilst the air is caused to pass over all the electrodes in parallel. In another known arrangement, wherein the electrodes of opposite polarities alternate with one another in parallel planes throughout the series as before, a pair of electrodes of opposite polarities, wlth an interposed dielectric sheet, to-- gether constitute a separate panel which is utilized as a baille, the panels being spaced apart and the streaml` of air being so directed as to follow a zig-zag course between the opposed surfaces of adjacent panels in succession, no dielectric 'sheet being interposed between adjacent panels.

It is to be observed that the eiliciency (i. e., yield per kilowatt) of an ozone generator, more especially in cases where a highly concentrated product is required, is dependent upon the degree of intimacy of contact between the electrodes and the air 1920. Serial No. 397,365.

which is passed thereover durin the ozonizlng process. But, the closer t e intimacy of contact, the 'greater is the necessity for passing the air as rapidly as possible over the electrodes so as to obviate an excessive.

r1se of temperature, with consequent disintegration of the ozone produced; and the present invention has for object to provide an improved ozone generator of the general type referred to, so constructed as to permit of a greater production of ozone, relatively to the power consumed or the quantity of air passed through the apparatus, being obtained than with constructions hitherto in use.

According to the invention, the electrodes are so assembled that those of the same polarity in adjacent pairs of electrodes, extend in close superficial proximity to one another, a dielectric sheet bein interposed .only'between adjacent electro es of opposite polarities, whilst the assemblage of4 electrodes is housed within a closed container adapted to cause the air to be fed in parallel to the assemblage of electrodes and, in its passage thereover, to be conned to the interstices of or between contiguous electrodes and between each electrode and the contiguous dielectric sheet, with the result that both in.- ltimacy of contact between the air and the electrodes, and also rapidity ofl flow of the air relatively to the quantity passed through the apparatus in a given time, are secured. In cases where a more highly concentrated product is required, a plurality of such assemblages of electrodes may beA mounted within a single closed container so as to.

extend in substantiallyl the same plane and thus be adapted to act in succession upon vassemblages and -the air passing therethrough) may be kept below a safe limit.

Such an arrangement enables advantageous results to be secured as compared with those i j v l obtainable with a constructlon prevlously tending through cooling tanks whlch alterl ing the invention,

semblage of Aelectrodes housed within a from one to another oa series' of electrode- 18 being removable as an integral whole from the container.

The right hand tube 17 (Fi ures 1 and 2) serves as the air inlet passage, or which purpose it is provided, above the cover 15, with a pipe connection 17a adapted to' be coupled in any convenient manner to a pipe leading from a source of air-supply, the tube 1 havin one or more series of perforations a apted to distribute the air evenly throughout the depth of the container, preferably towards its right hand end as indicated. Similarly the left hand tube 18 serves proposed, according to which the air is led chambers in succession, by way of pipes exnate with the 'electrode-chambers.'

. In the accompanying drawings illustratigure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, shew-ing a single aswaterti ht container immersed in a watertank. 'Figure -2 is a horizontal section, and Figure 3 1s a vertical section, taken respec. tively on lines 22 and 3-3 of Figure 1,

' the space occupied by the assemblage of e1ec\\as the outlet passage for ozonized air, for

trodes being indicated only diagrammatiwhich purpose it is provided, vabove the cally. Figure 4 is a =face view, drawn to a cover 15, with a pipe connection 18 adapted larger scale, of a sheet of gauze constituting to be coupled 1n any convenient manner to an electrodesuperposed'upon the contiguous dielectric sheet, and Figure 5-is a section of the assemblage of electrodes with their interposed dielectric sheets, taken as on line 5 5 of Figure 4. Figure. 6 is a view Similar to Figure 1, shewing two assemblages ofelectrodes housed within a slngle watertight container lmmersed in a water-tank. Figure 7 is a plan view, drawnv to a smaller scale,'shewing a range of containers slmilar to those in Figures 1, 2, `and 3, mounted side by side in asingle water-tank and all supplied in parallel. with air and also with electric current.

Referring rst to F iguresl to 5, the assemblage of electrodes is housed in a container of sheet-metal (preferably galvanized iron) having side walls 11, 11, end Walls 12, 12, a bottom 13, and an outwardly-projectingv top flange 14, all preferably welded together so as to bewatertight; the container, which is closed at top by a removable cover 15 (preferably of aluminium or galvanized iron), being mounted within a vWater-tankg25 are shewn,

10 upon the upper edge of which the flange 14 rests so as to permit ofthe container with its entire lcontents being removed from the tank when required. The tank 10 is kept charged with cold water up to a level above that of the top of the electrodes'within the container, suitable means (not shewn) being provided for maintaining a circulation of water through the tank 1f necessary. The removable cover 15, which is bolted to the flangev 14, constitutes the upper member of a rigid rectangular frame whereof the lower member, lconstituted by a bar 16 (preferably of aluminum or galvanized iron) which extends near the bottom of the container, is suspended from the top member by apair of end members 17. and 18 each constltuted by a tube of galvanized iron or othersuitable material which is externally threaded at its upper end to screw into a threaded hole in the cover 15 and internally threaded at its lower end to receive a screw 19 which passes through a hole in the bar 16 the frame constituted by the members, 15, 16, 17, and

a sheet of gauze is rectangularly a pipe leading to the desired destination, the tube 18 havin one or more series of perforations 21 a apted to collect the ozonized air evenly from the whole depth of the container, as indicated. The air may be forced or drawn through the container bysuitable means as usual in ozonizing apparatus.

Within the rectangular removable frame 15, 16, 17, 18, is mounted the assembla e of electrodes, the position of which, for t e sake of convenience, is only diagrammaticallyl; indicated in Fi res 2 and 3. The assem lage is formed gele Figure 5) by a series of pairs of flat sheets of wire gauze (preferably aulminium) whereof the two sheets23, 24 4of a pair, constituting electrodes of opposite polarities, are separated by a dielectric sheet 25 (preferably of mica), whilst the contiguous sheets 23, 23, or 24, 24, in adjacent pairs are closely juxtaposed and ada ted to serve as electrodes of the same po arlty. In Figure 5, five pairs 23, 24, with their intervening dielectric sheets a similar dielectric sheet 26 being placed outside each face of the assemblage. The sheets 23, 24 of gauzeare rectangular and all-of the same dimensions, whilst the dielectric sheets 25 are also rectangular and all of equal dimensionsbut so much larger than the sheets of gauze as to leave a margin extending beyond each edge of the latter, as shewn in Figure 4. From this ligure it will be seen that each corner of gapped to accommodate the inner corner 27*L o a rectangular distance-piece 27 interposed between the corners of adjacent sheets of insulating material, each such distance-piece 27 being constituted by a small square plate of glass or other suitable insulating material of a; thickness corresponding to the thickness of the sheet or sheets of gauze lying between the correspondingly adjacent dielectric sheets.

The entire assembla e of sheets of gauze and dielectric, with t eir intervening distance-pieces, is rectangular in face view, and occupies, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, only part of the distance between the f p corresponds to the vertical distance between s tubes v17 and 18, the spaces towardsthe right and left hand sides ofthe' element being reserved for the 'connection of 'the electric conductors as hereinafter described. The height of thedielectric .sheets 25, 26

. the cover and bottombar'16 of the frame,

less thedepth of a metal distance-block 28,v

(preferably of aluminium orgalvanized iron) fixed beneath the cover 15 and serying` in conjunction with the bottom bar 16,. for the support of a pair of `side-plates 29 of sheet-metal (preferably.I aluminium) ofthe same width as the sheets'25, 26, of insulatin material, which plates29 it within' the si e Walls 11,11 of the container Aand are attached by screws as at 30 and 31 to the distance-block 28 and bottom bar 16 so as to leave between theirinner faces a space' just suicient to receive the assemblage' of electrodesand to accommodate, between the outer dielectric sheets 26 of said assemblage and the side-plates 29,- other and longer sheets 32 of mica or the like which extend. approximately the whole distance between.

the tubes 17 and 18 so as to serve as directors for the current of air in -its passage imilarly, between the .bar 16 and the bot-v tom of the assemblage of electrodes is interposed a strip 16a of mica or the like,

whlch is clamped to the bar 16 by a lpair of blocks 34, 34, of insulating material whereby the assemblage, at its lower end, ismaintained in proper position lengthwiseoi the container. V Electric alternating v to the respective lgauze sheets 23, 24, o c op- 'posite` polarities from cables 3.5, 36 attached i vto terminals 37, 38 housed within porcelain or other insulators 39, 4() of .usual construcltion mounted on the Icover 15 and extending- Y through openings therein to the interior of the container between the tubes 17, 18 and l the respective edges of the assemblage, theterminals 37, 38 being on the upper ends-of conductors 41, 42 whereof the lower ends are connected, beyond the inner ends of the insulators 39, 40, by means of wires 43,. 44,

to metal strips 45, 46 attached to the opposite lateral edges of the gauzesheets 23, 24 whichfserve respectively as electrodes of 01pposite polarities in the several pairs allV t e strips 45 or 46 ofvofne polarity being clampe together at their outer ends.

It will"be perceived Athat no part of the stream of'alr in its passage from the inlet current is sup i lied.'

v'to the outlet tube 18 .can avoid I assi ing throu h the minute interstices o or betweer1 ',t e sheets of gauze so that the ap- ,'paratus provides a very eiiicient means of kobtaining the maximum production of. ozone relatively tothe power consumed vand tothe ,quantity of .airz passed throu lh `.the ,-apparatusfg ,it'b'eln'g of coursenn erstoodthat theratezat'whichthe airis caused to pass' 'must be, so'- regulated as toobviate any tendency ofthe ozone to becomey disintegrated by remaining'txiov long in contact with the elef trodes. Y 1 Y fWhen two they are mounted in the same -plane as indio'r; more assemblages of lelecv trodes are housed wlthin a single container,

sol

cated'. in Figure 6, which shews two ,assem ,blages o fvelectrodes thus mounted. InV other respects the 'arrangement illustrated in Figurel 6 is ,substantially similar to that d escribed q with reference to Figures. 1 to 3,'

corresponding parts'in Fil resl and 6 respectively/being denoted y simlal' refer `ence numerals. The two arrangements dif.- t'er, however, as regards' the following de-.

"f That islto say, inFigure 6-the two Aasseniblagesof electrodesare mounted at such af distance apart as to leave room between I" I them for one` of the cable-insulators, namely that corresponding to the left hand linsulag l tor 40 inv Figure 1; and all-the electrodes*vv 'I of one polarity, in both Aasse'mblages,are connected to theone cable 35, whilst all" the .electrodes of 'the [opposite polarity in -both assemblages; are gf-connecte'd to the other .cable l 36.] The inter-connections are pre.

erably such' that, l-lassumingi the poles of the' source of alternating currentto Whichthe cables'35 and'36 are severally-connected', to be' atany 'giveninstant ositive and4 negapositive cable 35 is 'coupled'throughza ,wire

V'tive-respectlvely, the con uctor41- from the fof all the posit1veelectrodes'iil the Iright the negative cable `36 vis coupled through wires 44 gto metal-,strips 46 attached vto one edge of all the lnegative electrodes vlin both assemblages, whilst one ofthe positive elec- .110' hand assemblage, and the conductor 42 from.'

trodes in the right hand assemblage is con-v nected by a metal strip 47 to strips 4 72l attached to one edge of all the positive electrodes'in the-left hand assemblage.

Thewater tank v10the watertight con-A tainer, the cover 15,`thebottom=bar 16, and

the air-director sheets 32 of mica or the like, i l' in the container, whilst 'the distance-block 28 is preferably r of `a llengthV suici ent 'to' are all made of a length toaccommodate the two assemblages of electrodes housed, withserve, as indicated, for both assemblageslinA A common. 'Each of the several. assemblages lof electrodes is, however, itself formed as a self-contained unit held betweenja; -separate l to 3.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 5 6,V the .air to be ozonized is caused to passkw through the two assemblages of electrodes in succession, andit will be obvious that any greater number of such assemblages may be slmilarly housed in a single container so as to extend in the same plane in order that -the air, bein caused to pass through the entire series o assemb-la sin succession, may Y. be subjected to a cumu ative ozonizingprocess, it being understood that-the respective electrodes of either polar1ty 1n the several assemblages are suitably interconnected electrically. l

Figure 7 shews in plan view a range of six water-tight containers each constructed substantially as described with reference t0 Figures 1 to 3, mounted in a single watertank 48, In thisv case the air inlet pipes of all -the containers communicate by way of bent pipe-connections 17'sl with a single air-- supply pipe 4:9, and similarly the air outlet pipes of all the contalners communlcate by way of bent pipe-connections 18a with a single ozone-delivery pipe 50, the connections being arran ed in parallelen such manner as to ensure t e passage of equal quanti ties of air through the several elements. The electric circuit also passes through all the elements in parallel current bein distributed to the terminals within the insulators 39 and 40 from cables 51 and.52 respectively as indicated. t It is to be observed that the improved apparatus of the present invention isada ted to enable a high eiiiciency to be obtained 40 with a comparatively llow voltage in the secondary of thestep-up transformer. This is shewn by the fact that whereas, with apparatus hitherto in use, the voltage usually required for working an ozone generator ranges, as is well known, from about 6,000 'in the most favourable cases up to as much as 20,000, the apparatus of the present invention has been found to ive the best results when working at a vo tage of about 4,000. Moreover, whereas most of the apparatus hitherto employed for the production 5 of highly concentrated ozone require an alternatlng current having a periodicity of not lower than about 100. and

in some cases as high as 300 to 500, the apv' paratus'of the present invention has been found capable of yielding a highly concentrated product when working with current of a periodicity as low as 25.

What I claim is l. An ozone generator of the type referred to, wherein the electrodes are so assembled Vthat those of the samepolarity, in adjacent pairs of electrodes, extend in close $5 supercial proximity to one anothen'a'diblage of electrodes and in its passage thereover, to be'conlined to the interstices of or between contiguous electrodes and between each electrode and the contiguous dielectric, substantially .as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An ozone generator as claimed in claim l, wherein a plurality of assemblages of Y electrodes are mounted within a single closed container so as to extend in substan tially the same plane and be adapted to act in succession upon the stream of air passe-d through the container, substantially as and for the, purpose set forth.

3. vAn ozone generator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrodes housed within a single container are mounted in a frame removable at will from the container, said frame being constituted by a removable cover for the container, a bottom bar, and air inlet and outlet tubes serving to connect together said cover and bottom bar, substantially as set forth.

4; An ozone generator as claimed in claim l, wherein the container is made watertight and is immersed in a cooling tank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pa1rs, each electrode consisting of a. metallic sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pa1rs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs bein of opposite polarity and being separated gy one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs having the same polarity extending in close superficial proximity to one another, a closed container having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being adapted to admit air to said container so as to pass from said inlet to said outlet and in its passa e to be confined to the interstices of or etween contiguous electrodes and between each electrode and the contiguous dielectric sheet.

6.An ozone generator comprising a plurality'of electrodes arranged 1n pa1rs, each electrode consisting of a metalllc sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectricl material, said pa1rs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity, and belng separated b one of said sheets of dielectric materia, those electrodes of adjacent pairs having the same polarity extendin in close superficial proximity to one anot er, said plurality of electrodes and sheets of dielectric material constituting a plurality of assemblages of electrodes, a closed container for said assemblages of electrodes,

an inlet to said container and an outlet from Said container, said inlet being adapted to admit air to said container so as to pass from said inlet to said outlet parallel with said assemblages of electrodes and in its passage to be confined to the interstices of or between contiguous electrodes and between each electrode and the contiguous dielectric sheet, said assemblages of electrodes being adapted .to act in succession upon the stream of air passed through said container.

7 An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in par allel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity and being separated by one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs havin the same polarity extending in close super cial proximity to one another, aclosed container, a removable cover for said container, a bottom bar, an inlet tube and an outlet tube Jfor said container, said inlet and outlet tubes serving to connect together said cover and said bottom bar and constituting with said cover and said bottom bar a frame in which said electrodes are mounted, said electrodes being removable as one with said frame from said container. h

8. An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity and being separated by one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs havin the same polarity extending in close super cial proximity to one another, said plurality of electrodes and sheets of dielectric material constituting a plurality of' assemblages of electrodes, a closed container, a removable cover for said container, a bottom bar, an inlet tube and an outlet tube for said container, said inlet and outlet tubes serving to connect together said cover and said bottom bar and .constituting With said cover and said bottom bar a frame in which said assemblages are mounted so as to extend substantially in the same plane and said electrodes being removable as one with said frame from said container.

9. An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet,l a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity and being separated by one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs having the same-polarity extending in close superficial proximity to one another, a cooling tank, a water-tight, closed container having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being adapted to admit air to said container to pass -from said inlet to said outlet and in its passage to be confined to the interstices of or between contiguous electrodes and between each electrode and the contiguous dielectric sheet. i

l0. An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being oi' opposite polarity and being separated by one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs havin the same polarity extending in close super cial proximity to one another, said plurality of electrodes and sheets of dielectric material constituting a plurality of assemblages of electrodes, a cooling tank, a single Water-tight, closed container for said assemblages of electrodes, an inlet to said container and an outlet to said container, said inlet being adapted to admit air to said container to pass from said inlet to said outlet parallel with said assemblages of electrodes and in its passage to be conined to the interstices of or between contiguous electrodes andbetween each electrode and the contiguous dielectric sheet, said assemblages of electrodes being adapted to act in succession upon the stream of air passing through said container.

11. An ozone generator comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet, a plurality of sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in parallel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity and being separated by one of said sheets of dielectric material, those electrodes of adjacent pairs having the same polarity extending in close superficial proximity to one another, a cooling tank, a Water-tight, closed container Within said tank, a removable, Water-tight cover for said container, a bottom bar, an

inlet tube and an outlet tube for said container, said inlet and outlet tubes serving to connect together said cover and said bottom bar and constituting with said cover and said bottom bar a frame in which said electrodes are mounted, said electrodes being removable as one With said frame from said container.

l2. An ozone generator, comprising a plurality oi electrodes arranged in pairs, each electrode consisting of a metallic sheet, a plurality of Sheets of dielectric material, said pairs of electrodes extending in paral lel surfaces, the electrodes of each of said pairs being of opposite polarity and being a bottom bar, an inlet tube and an outlet 10 tube for said container, said inlet and outlet tubes serving to connect together said cover and said bottom bar, a frame in which said assemblages of electrodes are mounted so as to extend substantially in the same/15 plane, said electrodes being removable as one Wlth said frame from sald contalner.

EDWARD LIONEL JOSEPH. 

